[USS Suffolk] USS SUFFOLK: When Scientists meet
- From: "JEFF MURPHY" <sovereign5@xxxxxxx>
- To: "suffolk" <suffolk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>,"starfleet-rpg" <starfleet-rpg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 15:02:31 -0800
<JP by Andrew Fishkin and Sean Murphy>
MD:52.17:45
Suffolk Science Wing
Dunross finished unpacking his gear, and began the very delicate task of
setting up his most prized possession, a replica of an ancient Roman still,
capable of brewing almost any concoction his research told him ancient
people liked to drink. Next to it were hermetically sealed jars containing
a wide assortment of Earth grains, in their primitive, unrefined state, just
as the ancients used them.
Dunross had used this machine, which he and late-wife built some
15-years-ago with the help of their daughter, to brew everything from the
Sumerian fermented coffee drink he described to Boulanger, to more modern
things such as the Irish cream stout and Scottish ale he grew up on in
Edinburgh pubs. Of course he had brewed a few whiskeys as well, but
generally it was the beer and beer-like beverages that tended to suit him
best, and were the cause of his increasingly difficult fitness regimen, as
such drinks demanded ever increasing measures to keep off of his athletic
physique.
He looked completely civilian with his shoulder length gray hair, tied in a
ponytail at the back, draping down onto the collar of a lighter gray polo
shirt, which tucked into a pair of blue jeans highlighted his flat stomach,
something of a rarity for a 50+ year-old university professor. With the
workday over, but the work remaining, he took advantage of being
"officially" off-duty, and walked up to the tap he had installed a few hours
before, and pulled a pint of stout, something he had well-earned after the
long shuttle ride and immediate check-in with first the bear, then his new
boss. The last thing he expected as he took a sip of the nearly black
beverage was for the door of science wing 2 west to open, as he didn't yet
have anyone working for him.
He looked up and saw an attractive woman walk in, wearing lieutenant's pips
and the coloring for science. Of course, it was her glasses that really
stood out, most people, himself included, opting instead for corrective
surgery. She was younger than he, but had that unmistakable spark in her
eyes that suggested she was more of a scholar than a military type. He had
never been able to explain it, though he was sure it was a manifestation of
a certain type of intelligence and curiosity that was sometimes, but rarely
seen outside of university campuses and corporate research laboratories.
The woman sported a quizical look on her face, and her head cocked to the
left. Ian douted if she were even conscious of the fact she did that.
"Can I help you?" she offered, noting the glass of stout in his hand.
"I could ask you the same question." Ian returned. " I wasn't aware anyone
had been assigned to my staff yet."
"Your Staff ?" the look of confusion grew more pronounced.
"I'm sorry." he set the stout on a near by cart and extended his hand.
"Doctor Ian Dunross, Mission Specialist. I'm assigned to SUFFOLK for this
mission." he explained.
An amused look replaced the small frown that had been forming on her face.
Then a smile crept up as she shook her head. "Just like Star Fleet. I'm
Doctor Mary Alexander, newly drafted Chief Science Officer."
"Ah, the bear neglected to inform you of my arrival ?"
"The 'Admiral' neglected to inform me of your existence. " she grinned as
she stepped further into the Science Lab. " I take it from where we're
standing you're a Geologist of some strain ?"
"You could say that. A little archeology thrown in as well." he replied with
an understated smile, noting the look of recognition dawning on her face.
"And I take it you're not the average 'wet-behind-the ears' grad student ?"
"You could say that." she offered a broad smile as she sniffed at the air. "
Is that stout I smell ?" She looked quickly to the glass he had set down.
"As a matter of fact yes. Brewed it myself."
"I haven't had real alcohol since I came to Vulcan."
"How long has that been ?" he asked.
"Eight years." she said with a dejected tone.
"Well doctor, if you're up for it, I could offer you a pint and we could
exchange pedigree's ?" he offered.
"Only if you promise not to commandeer any more of my science wing. I just
got the job last week." she explained, looking a bit abashed.
"Deal." he nodded.
Dunross walked over to the row of three taps and stopped at the second one.
He reached into the open box on the floor in front of it and removed another
pint glass, and verifying it was clean, slowly pulled another pint, then
topped off his own for good measure.
"Here you are doctor" he said as he handed her the glass.
"Call me Mary" she replied as she took the glass and immediately raised it
with a nod, and took a long, heavy sip. "Its excellent" she said, meaning
it.
"I'm not quite there yet actually, but Guinness is so bloody expensive that
I set out to make my own. Oh, call me Ian."
"Alright Ian" she said.
"So tell me about you Mary, what made you join the fleeters? Somehow you
look almost as out of place as I am."
"You seem to have a gift for understatement. Out of place hardly describes it.
Twelve weeks ago I was a professor of forensics at the Vulcan Science Academy,
then Gromma steps in... 'Admiral Bronn' I mean, and drafts me. But I must admit
he did have a persuasive arguement." She smiled despite her self, " Besides, if
I had to go through another year of dealing with thick witted Vulcan novices, I
would have been invesitgating a few more homicides." she took another sip of
the home brew stout. "But before Vulcan, I was Professor of Bio-Astronautics at
the Federation Science academy. My first Ph.d is in that field, but I'm still a
biologist at heart."
"Now its your turn, how did you get here?" Mary asked.
Dunross refilled both of their glasses and sat on a pile of unopened boxes.
"It's a long story, actually. I joined Starfleet over 30-years-ago,
petitioning the academy the same day I got my draft notice into the marines.
It's a good thing I was accepted as I would have been a dreadful enlisted
man. Anyway, it was during the Dominion war, and I largely just stayed out
of trouble, bade my time, then the first day I was eligible, resigned my
commission and went back to school. I've specialized in archaeology,
devoting most of my life to ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and
their contemporaries. My crowning achievement was finding the tomb of
Phrygian king Mideasas, more commonly known as 'King Midas'. Eventually I
came to head up the Archeaology and Ancient Studies departments at
Cambridge, while my late wife was the dean of humanities at the same
institution."
"What happened?" Mary asked.
"Well it was ten months ago, Ekaterina and I were on a dig in Northern Iraq,
we had the temple of Nina at the ruins of the Assyrian capital of Nineveh"
he paused, the look of sadness coming over him instantly alerted Mary that
this was not a comfortable topic.
"Its alright Ian, I un...."
"She was always a much better spelunker than I, and as usual, she went down
first. There was a rumble, and suddenly I was so very alone. I withdrew
from academic life, started drinking things much harder than stout, and
actually came very close to finding a way to join my wife in peace. Her,
our daughter came to my rescue. She contacted an old friend from my
Starfleet days, and next thing you know, I was at a 90-day retraining
course, then assigned as chief science officer on the USS Daedalus, serving
under an old relic known as the Butcher, whom I'd met 30-years before."
"I'm sorry about your wife."
"Me too" he answered truthfully. "We would have celebrated our 21st
anniversary next month."
Mary adjusted her glasses nervously, not sure how far to to take this
conversation, but obvioulsy, he did not speak of it very often, so perhaps a
need to vent was important to him now. She took another sip, this one longer.
Her mind raced for a way to subtly change the subject.
"I'm curious to see this mission they've recruited us for now. The galaxy's top
Geologist/Archeologist and a Forensic Biologist are a formidible combination."
Ian blincked. Recognizing what she was trying to do. Then nodded. "You have a
good point. I mist admit, I have been wondering about that myself."
Respectfully Submitted
LT Ian Dunross
&
LT Mary Alexander
*******************************NRPG**********************************************
Just a little CD for the ships's two Science geeks. :)
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